art palm springs – Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION.

Perez Art District

Here in the desert there’s always a flurry of fun activity taking place. If I haven’t been on here lately it’s exactly for that reason.

My friend Candy and I, trying to be part of Shelley Heffler’s art installation. We, and the art, are **complex pieces** **of work**.

Got swept off my feet by five guys at a house party. It’s not art, but it is creative skill and imagination.

If it’s not a fashion, music or art event, it’s a new venue, restaurant or book signing. My sister was also here visiting and making contacts. So I’m just catching up. Listen; I’m certainly not complaining about being able to attend these outings; I’m just winding down before the next surge.

After going back to “Wally’s Desert Turtle” (yes; that’s the name of a popular restaurant in Rancho Mirage) for a Friday fashion luncheon, a few of our group of women decided to check out the Perez Art District. It was a first visit for some of these full time residents.

L-R: Mini, Tammy, Kathy, Debbie, Libby, Candy. You can consider the food here a work of art and taste.

I’ve driven by Perez Rd. countless times but had no idea that just around the corner (and a bit) from this Industrial area with offices and car dealerships, lies over 40 art studios and galleries.

On the fourth Friday of every month from 4-7 pm, Desert Open Studios on Perez holds an Art Walk where you can see artists practicing in their workspaces. Walk around, visit the studios and learn about their processes, and buy art directly. There really is something for everyone. Plus, it’s dog friendly (always a plus.)

I enjoyed meeting several local artists along with friends Candy and Libby. We didn’t get to visit every gallery, but there are more Fridays coming up to explore the rest. We loved exploring the studios.

One artist who stood out for us was Shelley Heffler.

Her contemporary art studio contains sustainable art. Shelley is deeply committed to raising awareness about the environment through her unique art form –which is collecting discarded advertising banners and turning them into captivating works of art that can withstand all weather. Through meticulous hand cutting techniques, she fractures the initial image and repurposes it into beautiful weavings, collages, or three-dimensional sculptures that bear little or no resemblance to the original.

When she’s done they turn into complex abstract pieces with unique color schemes. Her hope is that her pieces not only provoke dialogue but also inspire action. Commissions are welcome. Each new project is an opportunity to further explore the intersection of art and environmental consciousness.

68845 Perez Road, Building H, Studio 14, Cathedral City, CA 92234

https://www.shelleyheffler.com:

Photos: d. king

Art & Culture

Out of the Crate – Art Palm Springs

Celebrating ART in Palm Springs

Joy always comes together when mixing Art along with good company, food and wine.

Last night we celebrated the unveiling of a body of artwork that was sentenced to life in a storage unit. It’s now on parole as part of Art Palm Springs.

Art by Maria Eugenia Casuso. The one bottom left sold within minutes.

The late Spanish-Brazilian artist Maria Eugenia Casuso gathered her remarkable body of work and put it into storage in 1987.

Luckily for us, her nephew Alfredo Casuso, (he curated this event) unveiled it on Wednesday at Grand Central restaurant in Palm Springs. This along with wine bar, generous food sampling from their latest tasting menu and other thought-provoking works by local artists Georgeanne Papac and Gary Paterson.

A good time was had by all who attended this extraordinary opening.

The STORY…

Taken from Palm Springs Life Magazine:

Karyn Mannix, of karyn mannix contemporary, has been intrigued with Maria Eugenia Casuso’s artwork since she first heard Casuso’s story from David Perry when they were both working art fairs. “For years I’ve been trying to get a peek at it,” she exclaims. “I had seen images, but when I saw it, it was even better than it was in photographs. I always wanted to show it, especially in Palm Springs.”

Karyn Mannix classifies Casuso’s work as postmodernism, and “…that art movement between abstract expressionism, and not that it goes into pop art,

with David Perry (David Perry & Associates, Inc.) Photo: Ramona Huth

but it’s geometric abstract.”

Casuso also became a superstar in the interior design world, and was hired at the best design firm in Caracas. She spent 10 years traveling, designing, and living her life out loud.

Photos: d. king

Full story here from Palm Springs Life Magazine:

*What time is it?* **Grand Central time!**

Grand Central Palm Springs:

https://www.grandcentralpalmsprings.com/

Art, Architecture, Design

Mod about Palm Springs

Welcome to Modernism Week 2022!

Modernism Week officially begins today! From now through February 27, 2022, we’ll be celebrating all things midcentury modern and more, in Palm Springs and beyond.

Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for 11 days of modernist fun. We’ll be sharing daily event highlights, important updates, and so much more.

For more information, visit modernismweek.com.

Look forward to touring some featured homes and maybe a party here and there. Photos to follow.